Holt: Ch. 1, Sections 2 & 3 Fusion: Unit 1, Lesson 3

a way in which scientists answer questions and solve problems

Organized processGenerally, 6 stepsUse all or someRepeat steps

Ask a question After making observations Only 1

Form a hypothesis Use what you know If…then Testable Not right or wrong Possible answer to question

Test the hypothesis Design an experiment Controlled Constants Variables

Independent and dependent

Measurements/Observations/Data

Analyze the results Calculations Tables/graphs Relationships

What is data? It is information gathered during an experiment.

It is organized into a data table and displayed visually as a graph.

BAR GRAPHS: can be used to show how something changes or to compare items. have an x-axis (horizontal)

and a y-axis (vertical) the x-axis has

independent variable the y-axis has numbers

dependent variable

LINE GRAPHS: can be used to show how something changes over time

x-axis has numbers for the time period

y-axis has numbers for what is being measured.

can be used when you're plotting data that has peaks (ups) and valleys (downs), or that was collected in a short time period.

Used for two sets of numerical data (ex: time and temp)

Draw conclusions Again: not right or wrong Does the data support your hypothesis? A guide for future investigation

Communicate results Important! Papers, presentations, web site Keeps science going!

A model is a representation of an object or system

Uses something familiar to help you understand something that is not familiar.

Physical, mathematical and conceptual

Mathematical equations and data

Calculations- such as force and acceleration

Many done by computers

Based on certain “concepts”

Take some data into account, not others

Ex: Age of the universe vs. age of nearby stars

Scientific Theories A theory is an explanation

for many hypotheses and observations

Supported by repeated tests

Can predict what may happen

Scientists use models to explain and change their theories

Examples: Big Bang Theory, theory of evolution

Scientific Laws A law is a summary of

many experimental results and observations

When a model correctly predicts results of many different experiments

Tell you what happens- not why

Examples: law of the conservation of mass